‘Man with a plan’

DePeiza backs Ryan Walters for DLP president

Former president of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Verla DePeiza has endorsed businessman Ryan Walters as the man to lead the party.

She told a political meeting in Deacon’s Farm, St Michael, on Sunday night that both the DLP and the country needed a plan and Walters had presented one, making him a clear choice for party president.

“One single, one of the presidential candidates produced a road map that you can look at and study. I have asked him to break it down for those who don’t want to read 12 pages, but I urge you all to read those 12 pages. In them is a plan of action for the reclamation, the rebuilding, the renewal and the restoration of the Democratic Labour Party’s positioning; the rebuilding, the renewal, the restoration and the reclaiming of Barbados’ standing.

“My party needs a plan; this country needs a plan. The two have merged themselves in the document produced by Ryan,” DePeiza said of the man who served as first vice president during her tenure as president and will challenge Dr Ronnie Yearwood for the party leadership this weekend.

Sunday’s meeting was themed Rebuild, Renew, Restore, Reclaim – the title of a 12-page document outlining Walters’ plans for the party if elected president, built on six pillars: strengthening party governance, revitalising our membership, empowering our women, empowering our youth, strengthening the party finances, and reclaiming the DLP’s rightful place in the hearts of Barbadians.

“This is not a ‘cuh dear’ election in the Democratic Labour Party. This is not a friends and family election in the Democratic Labour Party. This is about who has a plan, who has worked out a formula and who has persons of quality standing behind them willing to make it come to fruition.

“At the end of the day, we need all the members of the Democratic Labour Party on hand – the new ones, the old ones, the ones who have stayed with us through thick and thin. We need them all,” the former president said.

The meeting, which attracted scores of people scattered across Deacon’s Farm – some dressed in blue shirts bearing the words of the theme, some sitting in their vehicles, others standing for almost four hours – was held days before the DLP elections which will be held during the party’s annual conference scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

The other contenders in the presidential race are two former government ministers Richard Sealy and Dr David Estwick.

Other speakers at the meeting who endorsed Walters’ candidacy were DLP vice presidents Paul Gibson and Andre Worrell, and former president of the Young Democrats Terian Reid.

“I stand here tonight along with two of the vice presidents of the party, along with Young Democrats, along with representatives of the Women’s League; we stand representing the future of the Democratic Labour Party,” said DePeiza.

“I align myself with anybody who has a plan. You can’t get the support without having something to support. I am glad to see so many of you out here tonight who braved the naysayers. . . .  We are seeing too much of that elsewhere and it cannot be brought into the Democratic Labour Party while I am standing on two feet,” insisted the former party leader.

She said people in the country were depending on the DLP to stand up and speak on their behalf.

“….And it goes beyond the critical; you can’t just be criticising. Our people want to know what you are going to do, so we have to have processes put in place. As I read Ryan’s manifesto, I get that sense and understanding of the ability to manage the two and I am particularly keen on the fact that he has experience in finance,” DePeiza said.

‘I know the Democratic Labour Party will be called upon one more time to rescue this country. We just have to position ourselves and make sure that we are viable at that moment. We need to be in a position to show that we can meet that very weighty requirement.”

During his address to the gathering, Walters lambasted the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) administration for its handling of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), saying that it was “99.9 per cent responsible” for the current state of the NIS Fund. He said actions taken by the Government had put the Fund in an even worse position than it was five years ago.

“If you refer to the Actuarial Report for the period ending 2014, the reserves of the National Insurance Scheme would have been exhausted in 39 years. If you refer to the Actuarial Report for the period ending 2017, the reserves of the NIS would have been depleted in 34 years. But if you turn to the Actuarial Report ending 2020, after the debt restructuring of this Government, the reserves of the National Insurance Scheme would have been exhausted in 16 years,” he charged.

The NIS issue has been a hot topic since Minister of Labour Colin Jordan announced on July 28 that the pensionable age will move to 67 ½ years in 2028 and then to 68 years in 2034 and that the number of contributions needed to be eligible for pension will move from 500 weeks to 750 weeks.

Jordan said the moves were necessary to prevent depletion of the NIS Fund.

But Walters reiterated that the BLP, which was returned to office in 2018 in the first of two straight landslide election victories, was to blame for the situation being what it is.

“They are responsible. They are accountable because even though we had challenges in the National Insurance Scheme, their singular action has shaved 18 years off of the life of the NIS and then you are to pay for it.

“The decision cumulatively affected the NIS by $2 billion almost. But to make matters worse, the choices on how to resuscitate our NIS were even more damaging to our livelihoods… to our mental health and to our approach to work. It will change our approach to working,” he said.

The business executive said the average Barbadian was being asked to invest more yet they are getting “very little in return”.

“These measures are unnecessary and I challenge the Government to come to us and tell us what these measures will result in. What will the Fund look like in 10, 15, 20 or 25 years with these measures?

“They have taken the easy way out as usual. This is a government that did not seek to grow this economy. They came in and wrote off debt to make their balance sheet look better. They came in and tax you to raise revenue. They came in and wrote off debt from the business class and put the pressure on you,” he insisted.

Walters suggested, among other things, that if employment was handled the right way, that would be the key to fixing many of the problems.

“What does it take to resuscitate the National Insurance Scheme? If we can get employment done right, if we can treat to labour how it is supposed to be treated to, it would resolve many of our social and economic issues, including the state of the National Insurance,” he contended.

(BT)